Bad breath treatment
What can be more embarrassing than having a bad breath? Yes. Bad breath itself. Bad breath can interfere with one’s success at personal relationships and can leave its’ trails up to the professional levels. But thankfully, halitosis or in other words – bad breath – can be treated very easily by following a few simple rules.
Bad breath is, as the term suggests, a condition characterized by a distinctly unpleasant smell that becomes noticeable when one exhales. Although halitosis, as this condition is called, is not a problem by itself, it can affect one’s personal relations with others. Breath odor is caused by a type of anaerobic bacteria that resides beneath the surface of the tongue, according to extensive research on the subject. This type of bacteria helps in digestion and need to be functioned properly. Like many other digestive juices that can be found in various other organs of the body, these bacteria help to break down food ingredients that are mostly rich in protein. When protein is broken down by these bacteria, they form amino acids in excess. Amino acids contain sulfur, a substance that has been linked to the factors that cause taste disorders and bad breath. Since these bacteria are anaerobic in nature, they breed in the absence of oxygen. Besides, since oxygen cannot reach the surface beneath the tongue, this area is the breeding ground for such bacteria. Upon reacting with amino acids, they cause breath odors.
As the factors that cause breath odor suggest, introducing oxygen to the area is one way of solving the problem. But there is also another way to look at the problem. Amino acids can be produced when there has been consumption of food, and food particles get trapped between the teeth. Thus maintaining a proper oral health is an effective solution to the problem of bad breath. People with bad breath should properly brush their teeth carefully so that the food bits are removed from the corners between the teeth. Besides, they should also maintain a few brushing rules like brushing both sideways and in up-and-down movements. The tongue and the molars at the corners should also be cleaned carefully so that no food bits remain. People should not only brush their teeth after waking up and before going to bed, but also clean their teeth thoroughly and rinse their mouths after every meal.
Another factor that causes bad breath is smoking tobacco and consuming alcohol in excess. Although people who smoke generally do so as habitually, if they are concerned over the issue of bad breath, they should cut back on their habit of smoking. An alternative could be rinsing their mouths and cleaning their teeth after every time they smoke.
Dry mouth is a condition that can also cause breath odors. Caffeine, tobacco and alcohol cause dry mouth. So if these three substances can be avoided entirely, the problem of bad breath can be eliminated almost entirely. Chewing sugarless lozenges can increase the flow of saliva in the mouth and reduce the problem of dry mouth, thereby lessening bad breath to some extent. Drinking plenty of water can also help. One should also try keeping the water in the mouth and swooshing it around. This has a two-fold use – the food particles that get stuck between the teeth loosen up and the mouth is removed of its dryness.
Mouthwash sold at stores mostly do not solve the odor problem rather worsens it by making the mouth dry. A mixture of 50% water and 50% hydrogen peroxide can be used as an alternative to mouthwash. Hydrogen peroxide is known to destroy bacteria that are responsible for causing bad breath.
Bad breath can be treated by following these simple rules. Although bad breath is not a problem in itself, it may create problems in creating healthy personal and professional relationships. Bad breath should, therefore, be treated following the rules discussed. There is nothing like a smile that smells fresh!
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